Almost every multi-story structure, such as a commercial building, is built with one or more elevators. Construction of multi-story buildings can be done using a variety of materials and processes. In some cases, build-out of the lower building floors is started prior to the construction of the upper building floors. It is often efficient to begin further construction activities (e.g., running of plumbing pipes, installation of electrical wires, installation of elevator guide rails, etc.) on the lower floors prior to the construction of the upper building floors. However, because the upper floors have not been completed prior to the build-out of lower floors, the elevators within the building are not available for use in transporting construction materials to the upper floors. These construction materials can often be heavy and difficult to move (e.g., pipes, panels, wires, guide rails etc.).
Construction activities may therefore require the transport of heavy materials to building floors above the first floor where elevators cannot be used. In the construction of some buildings, the use of a crane for hoisting heavy construction materials it is not cost-effective or efficient. It also be may be difficult to situate a crane within a crowded building site. As building floors are constructed, elevator shafts are frequently constructed simultaneously.
It would be advantageous to provide a construction apparatus that could be easily used within an elevator shaft for hoisting construction materials to various floors of a structure under construction.